Bn. Dittel et al., Presentation of the self antigen myelin basic protein by dendritic cells leads to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, J IMMUNOL, 163(1), 1999, pp. 32-39
Bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DC) are potent stimulators of nai
ve CD4(+) T cell activation. Because DC are efficient at Ag processing and
could potentially present self Ags, we investigated the role of DC in the p
resentation of an encephalitogenic peptide from myelin basic protein (Ac1-1
1) in the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), To
determine if DC could prime for EAE, we transferred DC pulsed with Ac1-11 o
r with medium alone into irradiated mice in combination with CD4(+) T cells
isolated from a mouse transgenic for a TCR specific for Ac1-11 + I-A(u). M
ice transferred with Ac1-11-pulsed DC developed EAE 7-10 days later, wherea
s mice receiving medium-pulsed DC did not. By day 15, all mice given peptid
e-loaded DC had signs of tail and hind limb paralysis, and by day 20 infilt
ration of Ac1-11-specific CD4(+) T cells was detected in the brain parenchy
ma, We also demonstrated interactions between Ac1-11-pulsed DC and Ac1-11-s
pecific T cells in the lymph nodes 24 h following adoptive transfer of both
cell populations. These data show that DC can efficiently present the self
Ag myelin basic protein Ac1-11 to Ag-specific T cells in the periphery of
mice to induce EAE.